BANFF — Conversations between Canadian and American officials have not stopped, even if no formal trade talks are currently scheduled, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Friday. LeBlanc was in Banff, Alta., on Friday for the two-day Liberal cabinet retreat, where the ongoing trade war with the United States has been a key topic. LeBlanc told reporters Friday he has no meetings in Washington scheduled but has spoken several times with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and sometimes speaks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as well. LeBlanc said he sent a text to Lutnick on Friday. Lutnick’s brother Gary died in the North Tower of the World Trade Center that day. “He has talked to me often about what that meant for him and his family,” LeBlanc said. “So I sent him a message to say I was thinking about him.” Far to the east in Gander, N.L., former prime minister Jean Chrétien had a pointed message about that kind of kindness as he spoke at a ceremony remembering the town’s remarkable contribution, taking in thousands of stranded passengers from planes which were grounded for five days after the 9/11 attacks. Chrétien said Canada is a generous, open country and Canadians are tolerant and kind. “But never mistake our generosity for weakness,” he said. “Never mistake our tolerance for lack of determination and never, never mistake our kindness for softness.” Canada, said Chrétien bows “to no one.” “The more we are insulted or threatened and abused, the more we will stand up for ourselves and stand united,” he said. The last formal negotiations between Canada and the United States ended abruptly on Aug. 21. The two countries appeared to be on the verge of a deal earlier that week, to settle some outstanding trade irritants and prevent the United States from imposing a new round of punishing tariffs on Canada. But Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended those talks and summoned LeBlanc back to Canada, accusing the American side of making last-minute demands that would undermine Canada’s sovereignty. Trump then imposed 50 per cent tariffs on nearly $28 billion in Canadian goods. Canada’s retaliatory tariffs took effect Tuesday; later that same day, Trump signed new orders to ban imports of some Canadian products, including most alcohol. He also added new products to the tariff list and took some off it, including toilet paper, cement and road salt. Both sides blame each other for the impasse. LeBlanc had multiple meetings with Greer in Washington over the summer but they have not met since Aug. 21, and LeBlanc said he has no formal meetings scheduled. Speaking in French, he said that even without formal negotiations, maintaining the relationship is important “for all kinds of reasons.” He said the government must be ready for the prospect of a deal that respects Canadian sovereignty and serves the country’s national interest. Asked about reports that Mexico and the United States are getting closer to reaching a bilateral trade agreement, LeBlanc said Canadian officials also talk with their counterparts in Mexico. “They’ve been at this for a number of months,” he said. “We’re focused on the work that we need to do both in the bilateral discussions with the United States and obviously around the review of CUSMA, the trilateral agreement.” The Trump administration did not extend CUSMA in July. That triggered an annual rolling review of the trade deal that could continue for up to a decade. The deal will expire after that review if all three countries can’t agree on an extension. LeBlanc said he was encouraged by recent comments by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum that suggested it would be beneficial for all three countries to work at the same table. “We remain optimistic that we’ll get there, and the Mexicans in that sense are very much in the same vein as us,” said LeBlanc. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told a virtual town hall of business owners and industry representatives on Thursday that her government has identified 65 items on the Canadian counter-tariff list that she wants to see removed. She said the counter-tariffs are hitting $4.9 billion in exports from Alberta businesses, while just $1.8 billion in Alberta exports are exposed to U.S. tariffs. She said much of Alberta’s counter-tariff exposure is linked to American products used as inputs in manufacturing, or machinery needed for industry. “The central concern for Alberta is whether companies can maintain access to specialized steel goods, machinery, equipment and construction inputs that aren’t readily available from Canadian suppliers and may not be replaceable from non-U.S. sources within required timelines,” Smith said. “Our hope is that we would get those removed completely from the counter-tariff list. But also, barring that, be able to work with the federal government on a streamlined remissions process, so that when you do pay those, we can reimburse you.” Ian Bremmer, an American political scientist and president of the Eurasia Group, suggested Canada should get used to tariffs, no matter who is in the White House. He told reporters in Banff on Thursday that it’s important for Canada to distinguish between the broader structural changes in U.S. policy and the “unpredictability and unreliability” of Trump himself. “I do believe that there is permanent damage that has been done to the U.S.-Canada relationship. I do not believe it will ever come back to what it was,” he said. “But I also think there’s a great deal of repair that can and will be done.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2026. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
